Pontefract preview: Peru looks hot on handicap debut

Peru can take advantage of what looks a lenient opening handicap mark to land the 1m nursery on today’s card at Pontefract (15.30).

The Hugo Palmer trained filly has only had three starts, and shaped with plenty of promise on debut at Ascot when a not knocked about fourth to Marenko in a race which has worked out well.

Although eventually beaten five lengths, the winner is now rated 104 and finished a fine second in the Group 2 May Hill Stakes at Doncaster when last seen in action.

The runner-up Light Up Our World also won next time up before finishing placed twice in Group company and is now rated 102, and the third home Dawn Of Hope has also gone on to taste success to be rated 87.

That is very strong form in the context of this class 4 contest and suggests that the assessor has taken a chance in allotting Peru an opening mark of just 77.

Peru has since gone on to finish a solid second at Kempton before showing a good attitude to open her account at Haydock earlier in the month.

The daughter of Motivator dug deep and found plenty in the latter when strongly pressed inside the final furlong to win by a neck, and it was a performance which suggested Peru would have more to offer when going down the handicap route.

Sunraider has a good record at the track and looks decent value to land back-to-back runnings of the 6f handicap (16.00).

The Paul Midgley trained gelding has won and been placed three times in six starts at the venue, and was last successful over course and distance in this contest 12 months ago when slamming Effervescent by five lengths off a mark of 78.

Sunraider got hit with 11lb rise in the weights for that runaway victory, but was far from disgraced off his revised mark of 89 when seventh of 11 to Out Do in a competitive class 2 contest over course and distance on seasonal reappearance.

The eight-year-old has since gone on to finish runner-up on two occasions, both over course and distance, and although now 5lb higher in the weights than when scoring last year remains nicely treated off a mark of 83 on the pick of his form.